Kris’s Blog: Good trees come to those who wait – tree seed update

Back in a November I went off for a walk in my local woods to collect a variety of tree seeds (AG 19 Nov 2011). The seeds were promptly sown in small pots of loam-based compost, topped with perlite and sunk into soil on my veg patch, then covered with wire to keep them safe from foraging mice etc.

Over winter they were exposed to everything the weather could throw at them.

Now, following two weeks of pretty much constant rain, my first seedling has appeared. It’s the old adage, good things come to those who wait. But I’m particularly pleased as it can often take two or three years for tree seedlings to show themselves

I’d sown two types: oak and beech. This first seedling is one of the beeches. I was expecting this. The softer seed coating on the beech, compared to the hard casing of the oak acorns means they have an easier job of breaking the surface.

It’ll be a few years before I have plants of a usuable size, but once the rest of the seedlings pop up I’ll keep them in an out of the way spot until they are ready for use. Maybe it’s time to get into bonsai?!